With the current news about Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), as CEO/Chief Librarian of Renfrew Public Library, I want to assure community members that RPL is taking a proactive approach to COVID-19. Our aim is to provide links for the public which focus on local responses, as well as accurate, up-to-date, reliable information about the virus. Our goal is to ensure people have access to information about:

The risks of a pandemic

How to reduce the risk of exposure

Steps to take if you or someone you know becomes ill

Other useful information and resources relating to COVID-19

As the situation evolves, we will adapt our services as needed and work to minimize the impact of inaccurate information. We will monitor closely any action taken by the federal and provincial levels of government, as well as the County of Renfrew and the Town of Renfrew regarding the situation and adjust our services accordingly.

Working together we can help to ensure that COVID-19 does not lead to unnecessary fear or division in our community. RPL's priority is to help keep the public and our staff safe, healthy and informed.

Kelly Thompson
Chief Librarian / CEO

Government Resources

What is COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. They can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). Some transmit easily from person to person while others do not. COVID-19 is a new disease that has not been previously identified in humans.

China determined that a novel coronavirus (referred to as COVID-19) is responsible for the outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan. Authorities in China and worldwide are conducting further investigations to better understand where the disease came from, how it is spread and the clinical severity of illness in humans.

The Ministry of Health has developed an information sheet about the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to inform Ontarians about the virus, how they can protect themselves and what to do if they think they have contracted the 2019 novel coronavirus. The information sheet is available in multiple languages.